Kid For Peace would like to introduce two remarkable teens, Sanjana and Nandini who are creating smiles and changing the world. In January 2017, Sanjana and Nandini started their own charity called Side By Side Smiles to raise money and awareness for children with cleft lip and palates. Since starting their charity, they have raised over $12,800 dollars!

Instead of just asking for donations, both Sanjana and Nandini wanted to be able to give something back to the people who were kind enough to support their cause; so, they decided to combine their love for business, jewelry, and philanthropy into one. In order to raise money, they sell $5.00 handmade charm bracelets that are functional and affordable. By creating this opportunity, they have been able to inspire donations from people of all ages and backgrounds. The girls also launched their own website: ​sidebysidesmiles.org​, featuring pictures and information about their cause and business model.

We have asked them both to compose an array of responses about what exactly kindness means to them– please take a moment to review Sanjana and Nandini’s remarkable outlook on kindness below!

Sanjana and Nandini, what does kindness mean to you?
Both of us believe that kindness is what makes the world go around. Especially with all the negativity that we see in the media nowadays, being kind to each other is so important. Nandini was born with a cleft lip, but she was lucky enough to receive all of her surgeries at a very young age. When she realized that not everyone is as lucky as she was, she wanted to help make a positive difference. As best friends our entire lives, we decided to launch our own charity as our way of giving back!

Can you describe a moment where kindness has impacted your life?
There are so many moments that kindness has made a positive impact on our lives, whether it be a small or large act of kindness. For example, sometimes we get comments from people who don’t believe in us or our cause. However, we get so many MORE positive comments and messages, especially from kids affected by cleft lips or palates which inspires us to keep going. Comments from other teenagers looking to start their own charity literally make our day and show how there are so many kind and giving people in the world.

What is your wish for the world?
One day we hope that the world will no longer be so filled with hate and negativity and that everyone will be given equal opportunity. We hope that people will be able to work together to make a positive impact and help as many people as possible. We hope that people realize that kindness will always be stronger than the hate, and that no matter how big or small any kind act can change someone’s day for the better. Our motivation behind our charity is to show the world that no matter what age you are, there is always something positive you can do. By making our bracelets only $5.00, we hope to motivate as many people as possible to give back and realize that it does not take a lot to make a difference!

YOU too can make difference and spread your kindness to the world– to continue the kindness, please join The Great Kindness Challenge – Family Edition to engage your household in intentional kind acts, including raising funds and donating to your favorite cause!